The woman in front of me turned when she had all her food on the conveyer belt and said, “I don’t know why I even bought this much stuff.” I knew why as soon as I looked in my cart: I came for oatmeal and birdseed, and now had about 21 times that much food. There’s nothing like an oncoming storm to drive me and most other people I know toward groceries. Our primal brain takes over, and although I know what’s happening, I’m happily turning on the car driving toward Target because the brain says, “Bad weather. Must get provisions. Many provisions.”
It just feels wrong not to go food shopping, even if the cupboards are bulging, when 10 inches of snow is forecast at a 150% chance. Add to that the constant parade of school and event closings Laura Lorson is announcing on public radio, and I was chomping at the bit to drive toward giant piles of canned goods.
Back home, I feel such satisfaction in carrying in four bags of food at once even if some of the flimsy bags are ripping. I have returned from the hunt, and there will be oatmeal! And brisket! And lunch meat! And large quantities of yogurt! Birds far and near shall be feed well. No matter the depth of the snow, there will be joy and plenitude at all feeders, whether for birds or humans.
